Quick Review: bareMinerals The Cocktail Hour Eyeshadow Palette

bareMinerals The Cocktail Hour Eyeshadow Palette ($24.50 for 0.28. oz.) is a holiday palette from last year, but it’s actually still available through bareMinerals at a discounted price of $24.50–it originally retailed for $40.00–and it is a truly fantastic palette. I’m a huge fan of the Ready eyeshadow range, and this palette is and was excellent. This palette contains these shades: Black Tie Optional (black velvet), Icebreaker (pink pearl), Swanky (dazzling plum), Spiked (copper blush), Elixir (luxe lilac), Invite Only (taupe slate), Libation (sugared cinnamon), and Shaken Not Stirred (jeweled envy).

Black Tie Optional is a dark charcoal black–there’s a hint of gray there. It has cool undertones, excellent color payoff, and has a mostly matte finish.

Icebreaker is a pearly pale pink with subtle warm undertones and a frosted finish. Super soft, smooth, and intensly pigmented.

Swanky is a red-toned medium-dark purple with a satiny finish. It had nice color payoff and was soft and smooth to the touch.

Spiked is a warm, medium orange with a hint of reddish-copper and a frosted sheen. Good pigmentation and smooth texture.

Elixir is a pink lavender with a frosted finish. It was very soft and had good pigmentation.

Invite Only is a soft, metallic finished taupe–a great balance of gray and brown. Nice color payoff, smooth finish.

Libation is a beige-copper with a champagne metallic sheen. It has a very, very reflective finish with good pigmentation.

Shaken Not Stirred is a darkened navy blue with fine navy blue shimmer over a matte base. This had good color payoff, especially when applied, but the shimmer isn’t very noticeable on.

This is a fantastic palette, and at $24.50? a total steal. The quality is excellent across the board; there are no duds in this palette. These wear well, apply beautifully, and blend out easily. If you love soft, buttery eyeshadows with rich color payoff, this palette has your number.

** A Note on Quick Reviews: In an effort to be more on-the-ball for 2013, I’m digging through my photo folders and getting as much posted as I can. These are not full-length, in-depth reviews, and instead, I’m writing brief reviews. For dupes, I highly suggest checking out The Swatch Gallery; it’s my first stop whenever I am looking for possible dupes. All of the swatches in this post are automatically added to the gallery, so you can compare them for yourself.